The Slateman Triathlon

So about three weeks ago I took part in my first ever full length triathlon! and honestly it was ace! I'm hooked. 

training hard for months, getting my freestyle swim up to scratch, cycling everywhere I go, and running half marathons every weekend. I found that the months before the triathlon were some of the best. high intensity training change my lifestyle to a much more productive one. 

but anyway the actual triathlon is what I want to talk about.. so it begins in Llanberis, a small village in wales sitting at the foot of the northern side of Mt Snowdon. the scenery of the snowdonia national park was an incredible place to do my first triathlon. the epic gnarled edges of the countless peaks and ridges that surrounded the course, conjured a primal feeling that made even the freezing temperatures of the lake 'Llyn Padarn' enjoyable for the swim section. 

since booking the triathlon nearly 7 months ago I have been crippled with horrid flash forward daydreams of race day, where the swim section ruins me completely and the freezing temperatures render me useless. but in reality the swim section was by far the easiest and most enjoyable of the entire thing. the water was beautiful, super clear and the cold acted as a fresh crisp rather than a debilitating frozen nightmare. with comrades swimming all around you the energy is intense, although every one of us was there for different reasons in that moment when the horn sounded and we all set off, we all had the exact same goal and you can sense everybody's absolute drive and determination to smash the crap out of this triathlon. 

it wasn't all peaches and cream though, 15 minutes before my wave started I somehow managed to lock the car keys in the car, along with all my gear. Absolutely gutted. Instant panic. all I had was the shirt, underwear and trainers I was wearing. luckily I had just set up my bike, but other than that I had nothing. no wetsuit, no goggles, no towel, no shorts, no helmet, not even a few energy bars or gels. so in 15 minutes I had a mad scramble to collect the stuff I needed, I found a spare race number from the organisers, I managed to rent a wetsuit, and I bought a new helmet from a stall set up at the event. other than that I did the thing in my trainers and underwear.

Distances - 

1k - swim, 57k - cycle, 11k - run

TRIATHLON CHECK!

Nepal a brief De-brief

Volunteering (Child Care & Teaching) - Pokhara

Mali Patan - Day Care Centre

So I back from my 2 month trip to Nepal. I had a great time! I volunteered in pokhara for 4 weeks, teaching and providing social care for children in schools, daycare centres and orphanages. In the mornings we walked to a local boys home and provided social care, i took 12 Kendama's with me so i'd often find myself teaching the basics, along with playing football on Tuesdays and Thursdays and helping with homework. After the Orphanage we headed to the school and taught through till the after noon. with there education system being fairly basic and minimal we would focus on practical activities and more creative ways of learning. I took a big part in sports and dance teaching them the basics of Break dance and teaching how to play rounders and other games. science and maths where a laugh making custom parachutes for stones and seeing what designs would work best. 

Everest Base Camp Trek - Himalayas 

Everest.

After pokhara I headed for Luckla, the first town on the 12 day total trek up to Everest Base Camp, the Himalayas are incredible mountains from 5000m to 8000 surrounded us the entire time, it's hard to put into words how immensely big these mountains are dwarfing everything around them. When we reached Base Camp we decided to climb the Kalapatha Peak, which reaches 5550m. The Kumbu Valley is one of the most beautiful places I've visited, big respect to the people who live at those extreme altitude its a hard life. but having Everest in your back garden is not bad either.   

Solo Bike Tour. Kathmandu - Lumbini  

Wild Elephants - Chitwan

Then I had about 11 days left to fill with whatever I wanted, after a few days of mooching around Kathmandu I decided to go rent a bike and cycle to the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini. The bike ride was physically the most challenging part of my Nepal trip. balancing on the edge of extreme dehydration I cycled up a mountain of 2322m. fell of my bike, cutting open my hand. Dodging crazy overloaded buses and trucks, nearly being ran over by a crane. But seeing rural Nepal and meeting random family's along the way was awesome! With a thick language barrier, Kendama seemed to be the best way to introduce myself to strangers with hope of finding a cheap place to stay for the night. On the way to Lumbini I stopped at Souraha, Chitwan. Boarering India Chitwan is home to rich forests and crazy animals, on a jungle tour I met a wild baby elephant and found a rhino eating berrys. Then I reached Lumbini and toured the vast amount of shrines and temples built there devoted to the life of Buddha.   

Nepalese family I met on my cycle.

The destruction of the 2015 earthquake coupled with the resilience and happiness of everyone I met, stirs a sense of ease. These people have been through and currently live in insanely difficult circumstances, but the way they adapt and find happiness in what is seemingly the saddest of situations is ridiculously inspiring. 

Thankyou Nepal I had the greatest time.